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5 Tips on Spontaneous Wedding Photography

Wedding reports have changed dramatically in recent years. Most wedding couples flee from the images of traditional and excessively pose...

Wedding reports have changed dramatically in recent years. Most wedding couples flee from the images of traditional and excessively posed weddings, looking for a spontaneous and more natural wedding photography.

This way of photographing is not simply to point the camera and shoot constantly. Nor is it an excuse to photograph with poor care settings or bad lighting, but it requires a series of skills, attitudes and aptitudes to achieve that naturalness in photographs while we go unnoticed.

In this post I will share some ideas and tips that I hope will help you to photograph a wedding with a more natural style.

Knowing your team well is something basic, both in wedding photography and in any other photographic discipline. When it comes to capturing moments that just last a moment you can not afford to be fighting with the buttons or looking at the back screen of your camera.

It is highly recommended that you leave the flash off unless it is absolutely necessary, since throwing flashes in the face of people does not help anything to go unnoticed. If your pocket allows it, choose bright optics and fast focus, you will greatly appreciate it when the light conditions are not good (that is, in 80% of the churches).

Try to travel light of luggage. Leave the studio flashes, generators and tripods for other types of reports: not only will it help you to pass more unnoticed, but you can also move with greater freedom.

It will also help you to use smaller and lighter camera bodies. In the photographic industry, more and more compact models tend to be manufactured and some photographers have switched to the mirror less systems of Olympus, Fuji or Sony. Maybe in the future we can have the power of a DSLR in a pocket camera (like the Light project).

2. Think fast, move slowly

As a wedding photographer you must make numerous technical and aesthetic decisions in a matter of seconds, you must be agile in mind so as not to lose moments with indecisions. Observe the light, the environment and the characters, process it and make your decisions as fast as you can.

Move, change the point of view, and look for different angles but without running from one side to the other like a chicken without a head. Not only will you arrive late to those moments but you will also attract the attention of boyfriends and guests (especially if you measure 1.90m as I do). It is not about running around here chasing moments, but to anticipate what you believe (or know) that will happen. And this brings me to the next tip...

3. Anticipation

Probably one of the keys to spontaneous wedding photography: being able to "sniff" when and where an interesting moment can happen.

If you are able to foresee an action (or your instinct tells you that something can happen) you will be able to place yourself in the best position to be in the right place at the right time. Having a good location will give you at least 50% chance of getting a good spontaneous wedding photography.

4. Pay attention

Beyond what grooms do, there are dozens of stories that occur simultaneously, so keep both eyes open even when you are looking through the lens of your camera. And listen: follow the sound of laughter, or that of a cry, or a racket, probably lead you to something interesting.

5. Communication

As said: information is power.

Make an effort to get to know each couple, know as much as possible about their wedding and what will happen throughout the day. That way you can anticipate more easily.
It is also essential that you know who the most important people for each couple are and be very attentive to the connections that occur between these people. Our work is not limited to showing how handsome the couple is, but also telling the parallel stories that occur throughout the day of the wedding.

What are your suggestions about spontaneous wedding photography?

Do you feel comfortable photographing in this way or do you give another focus to your wedding photography?

Feel free to comment with your impressions and, if you liked the entry, you can share it 😉